Wander the Stars: A Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Earth FanFic
by SLUG-CAT624
Summary: (BEING REWRITTEN, Rated M, F/F, M/F, OCs, on Ao3) Two weeks after the beginning of the CLONE WARS, Dooku is spotted far beyond the Outer Rim, on the third plant of system TERRA 46-B. The Jedi Council sends Master OBI-WAN KENOBI and ANAKIN SKYWALKER, to investigate. Little do the Jedi know, Dooku is laying the groundwork to OVERTHROW his Master, DARTH SIDIOUS, and rule the galaxy.
1. Silhouettes in the Dark

~IMPORTANT NOTES~

Hello, and welcome to my 'if Earth was in SW' AU. Unlike many other AUs, SW dose NOT exist on Earth (or Terra 46-B PL3). I'm trying to keep this as realistic as possible, while keeping a good balance of both canon, fanon, and legend influences. Please be patient, (this is my third time re-writing it, and I may do it again) and enjoy the ride!

/Text/ - Forcespeak  
\- This can be used for speaking though a master/apprentice force bond (or another type of force bond)  
\- It can also be used when something is being 'projected' though the force

A Note on the Original Characters…  
\- All of them were based on real life people, though as I've re-wrote this over the years, they have developed into something completely different. Thanks to my 7th and 8th grade social studies teachers and a few of my 8th grade friends as the original models!  
\- One of the OCs is a shameless self-insert. *shrugs* What can I say? Haven't done one yet, and everyone has too. Might as well make it epic!

* * *

 **PART 1**

 **Chapter 1: Silhouettes in the Dark**

The gym's floor had long since lost its proud shine, and there was the constant smell of ozone in the air. The walls were scorched from blaster bolts, and a watery sunlight filtered down through the shattered ceiling. The men and women scurried around the room like ants in a nest, and jury-rigged cables snaked across the floor to the makeshift generator in the center of the room. A dozen old Dell desktops lined one wall, with damage ranging from a cracked screen to exposed circuits that sparked and buzzed, held only out of harm's way by a few strips of duct tape. A half dozen televisions were spread along the remaining walls, old school desks ringing around them.

The people were mostly young men and women, some little more than children, and they had the odd shrunken appearance of someone who spent their early years with enough to eat but failed to satisfy their hunger now. Hair greasy and shaggy, cloths ragged, some people trembled when they walked. A mother and her crying baby sat in a corner, the mother's silent tears contrasting with the baby's wails for food. Another woman- only a few years her minor, knelt beside her.

"Do you know what it's like, Martha, to bring a new life into the world only to condemn it to death?" The mother's tears glittered in the sunlight.

The younger woman, Martha, spoke her eyes far away. "No. I can't bare my own." Martha swallowed. "But it's an old pain. One ache in meny now."

"Perhaps that's better. Perhaps-"

Martha shook her head, brown waves of hair bouncing. "No. Anyone with the gift of motherhood is blessed. The future is not condemned for your son, or for any of us."

They sit in silence, as the baby begins to quiet, sharing burdens and grieving for the world.

{}{}{}

"Sandra's baby died."

Martha looks up from the papers scattered on an old wooden school desk. "I know. I was there."

The short, stout teen the same age as Martha slides onto the bench, straddling her. "Burn off some steam with us, dove. We miss you." Martha sighs and leans in to her arms, their breaths mingling.

"There's work to be done, Jade. Duty can't wait."

Jade's eyes harden. "It can and it will. Don't think we don't see the tremble in your hands." Jade takes Martha's hands in hers', fingers so small and delicate they looked like a skeleton's bone ones.

Martha leaned a little closer, slightly breathless. "Lust is a trivial thing Jade, and it has no place in a war."

"On the contrary, love most certainly does have its place in war." Jade purred in Martha's ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Love and lust are not one and the same, Jade. You know-"

"Fuck it." Jade smashes her lips- hot and wet- against Martha's.

"We have a breach near the Wendy's parking lot." Both girls jump, and Martha turns slightly pink. Jade stands and pulls the smaller girl to her feet, as Martha stutters apologies.

"I'm terribly sorry Dave. It-"

"Doesn't matter, Martha." Dave's dark beard concealed a tiny smile. "Your not my student anymore. Come. We'll try and nip this new wave of 'bots in the bud."

{}{}{}

The abandoned Wendy's parking lot was eerily silent. The black asphalt had faded to a light grey from misuse and the sun, and it was riddled with large potholes and patches of weeds and dandelions. The trio crouched behind a large chunk of plaster from the bombed restaurant, peering through a nearly invisible crack running diagonal along the debris.

"Nothing's here," Jade muttered, frowning. "Who called it in?"

"Don't know." Dave muttered back. "Came from an anonymous tip."

"Look!" Martha whispered as a silhouette of a man appeared in the shadows of another rubble pile seemingly out of nowhere.

"Creepy," Jade whispered. "It's like he came out of thin air." Dave cocked his blaster and slowly rose to his feet, silently motioning for the two women to stay behind him. Jade slipped Martha a knife while she readied a small handgun.

The man stepped into the sunlight. He was an older man, dressed in dark clothes trimmed with silver with a long, billowing cloak. When he walked, he boots made a heavy _thud_ , louder than they should have, like the soles were made of rock. _Or concealing something else,_ Martha thought. A silver cylinder was clipped to his belt. When they were a dozen feet away from the man, he lifted one hand. Both Dave and Jade slumped to the ground.

"Come with me, and your friends will not be harmed." The man spoke in a rumbling, brassy, tenor. It was rather pleasant to listen to. A strange, dark warmth filled Martha as she stared into the man's golden eyes.

 _/Come with me./_ A voice purred in her head. _/It's easy, so easy… Come with me… Martha/_ The sound of her name jolted her back to reality. She realised she was now just a foot away from the man- she must have been walking towards him- and tore her face away from his gaze and ground her heels into the asphalt. _What am I doing?!_ Her knife arm was shaking but she raised it anyway, preparing to strike a blow to his face-

-Her fingers spasmed and the knife fell from her hand, nicking her palm on the way down. She put her whole willpower in staring at the small stream of blood. _Don't look, don't look…_

The man grabbed her face and she gasped. He forced her eyes to meet his.

"So strong already. No wonder my Master fears you."

"Your Mas-ster is s-smar-ter than you th-hen." Martha felt ice creep along her veins, slowly paralyzing her.

"But you are a fool to fight against me. With you, I will rule the galaxy, my Master and Skywalker dead at my feet. I have foreseen it."

"I'll never join you."

The man smiled. "We shall see." Martha crumpled into the man's arms and he strood away, cloak billowing behind him.

Count Dooku had work to do.

{}{}{}

Darth Sidious sat in a concealed meditation chamber in the Chancoller's Office, deep in the currents of the dark side. He had been sensing _discontent_ from his apprentice recently, but that trivial matter did not worry him. He sensed Dooku was _hiding something_ , and there would be repercussions for his actions. Sidious dived deeper into the oily blackness of the dark side, tearing and ripping, chaining beasts and locking monsters away, untill…

 _There._

 _He stood on the ashy slopes of Mustafar, and saw himself and Skywalker approaching. He became aware of another presence, a dark star to rival the Chosen One's light. A young woman, with dark ringlets of hair looking black in the flickering red light, and bloodshot golden eyes._

And even Sidious couldn't deny how the force spoke in that moment.

It called for he and Skywalker's death.

"A foolish move, my apprentice. You will pay for your treachery." _But for now I must wait. Dooku has yet to betray me. Time remains, but it is limited._

He called an aid to his Chambers.

"Send summons to Jedi Anakin Skywalker. Say the Chancellor requests his presence."

As the underling bowed and left, Sidious drummed his fingers on the dark wood of his desk, and considered.


	2. Hook, Line, Sinker

**Chapter 2: Hook, Line, Sinker**

Obi-Wan Kenobi was dreaming.

 _He was in the Map Room of the Temple Archives, holographic stars and galaxies swirling around him. The Force whispered, and he let it guide him to a small system in Wild Space…_

 _...Two voices spoke._

" _I have nothing. My faith, my god has long abandoned me. But I can't bring myself to believe in… this Force… not yet."_

" _Do you trust me?"_

" _Yes."_

" _Then trust me when I say this- you do not have to embrace the will of the force, but believe in him. He will provide for you, as you will provide for him."_

" _I've never had a father."_

" _Then let him be one."_

 _The Archives disappeared, and he was looking down in a sterile medical chamber. A young woman was strapped to a table as she spasmed, and Count Dooku looked on._

 _The Separatist army invading a blue-green planet._

 _A mother weeping over her infant son._

" _Find them, Padawan. The fate of the galaxy is at stake."_

Obi-Wan Kenobi woke up, heart pounding and Qui-Gon's voice in his head.

{}{}{}

"Anakin, my boy! Come in, come in!"

Anakin Skywalker bowed politely. "Chancellor." He stood in the doorway until the Chancellor ushered him again.

"Oh none of that, my dear boy, do come and have some tea." Anakin sat in the chair across from the Chancellor's, and brought the tea cup to his lips. He blinked, a surprised look on his face.

"I don't think I've ever had this blend before, Chancellor."

The Chancellor stood up from his desk and walked towards the window that gave a panoramic view of the Senatorial District.

"I expect not, Anakin. It's sapir, and it's extremely hard to come by now, with the war expelling merchants from their trade routes." The Chancellor lowered his voice. "Sapir was also rumored to be Master Jinn's favorite blend."

Anakin's eyes lit up. "You knew Master Jinn?"

The Chancellor smiled. "For a short time during the liberation of Naboo, yes. I wouldn't say I knew him long, but I'd like to say I knew him well."

"Could you tell me more about Qui-Gon?"

The Chancellor looked regretful. "Perhaps another time, Anakin. I've recently acquired some information that could help us end this conflict- but we must act fast." The Chancellor turned some dials on his desk, and the room darkened and a holographic map of the outer rim appeared. "I need you to go this system here. Intel has recently come in that Dooku has been spotted."

Anakin's eyes darkened, and his mechanical hand curled into a fist. "I'll find him."

"I know you can, Anakin, but it's deep in Wild Space. Do be careful."

Anakin was already halfway out the door. He turned back.

"Don't worry, Chancellor. I'll bring you Dooku's head."

{}{}{}

Anakin stormed into the Kenobi/Skywalker quarters in the temple, still enraged but in a slightly less foul mood. Anakin sighed as he looked around the empty living space. He and his Master had been put on medical leave for their injuries when they battled Dooku. His master, being the stubborn man that he was, had managed to haul himself to a cruiser before a clone found him collapsed in the hall from blood loss. Dooku's blade had nicked a major artery in his leg, and a significant amount of muscle was burned away by Dooku's blade. One of the healers at the temple managed to pull some strings and managed to get some sort of cloned replacement tissue, but Obi-Wan's leg would never be the same.

Anakin gathered the various tea cups scattered around the space with a slight smile. Despite his Master's obsession for tidiness, he always left a trail of tea cups wherever he went it seemed.

"Master, I'm home." / _You better not be doing anything strenuous, I don't want your scary fish friend to yell at me./_

 _/Anakin, that's very impolite. And Bant is a very good friend of mine, we grow up together./_

Anakin approached the door to his Master's bedroom and knocked. "Hey, can I come in?"

"Of course." Anakin slid the door open and frowned at the massive stack of data pads that surrounded his master where he sat at his desk.

"This can't be good for you, Master." He frowned at the dark circles under Obi-Wan's eyes. "How long have you been doing this?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "All night."

That made Anakin's frown grow. Normally, his master would deny something was wrong until he collapsed. He dragged over a chair that sat in the corner of the room and sat down next to Obi-Wan. "What's up?"

The action seemed to shake Obi-Wan out of whatever he was in. He smiled, and shook his head.

"Nothing, Anakin. Though I suspect something's 'up' with you if that wave of negative emotions when you walked in was anything to go by."

As if on reflex, Anakin's hated for Dooku swelled to the surface again. "It's nothing, Master," he grounded out.

Obi-Wan sighed deeply. "Very well. Tell me how your meeting with the Chancellor went."

Anakin clenched his newly reconstructed hand into a fist. "He got intel on the location of Dooku. Beyond the Outer Rim, system Terra 46-B." The force flickered ever so slightly around his Master, and then the iron shields around his presence in the force were up again.

"Master?"

"We must report to the council, _immetiety._ "

{}{}{}

Dooku looked through the observation deck into the medical theater, as the droids prepped it for surgery. He scrolled through the file the droids had brought him on the girl his master feared so much.

 _Gender: Female_

 _Species: Human_

 _Planet of Origin: Terra 46-B-PL3 (Earth)_

 _Hight: 5' 4"_

 _Weight: 40 kilo_

 _Other: Hair_Brown. Eyes_Hazel. Left_side_dominate. Complextion_white._

The idea came to him when he first boarded the ship, and saw the drying blood on the girls right hand. It wasn't until the results of the blood test came in that the girl's potential was revealed.

She had no midichlorians. By all defenions of life as he knew it, she shouldn't be alive. Yet, undoubtedly, she was.

As his time as a Jedi, though it was few and far between, he had watched Jedi die from perfectly treatable injuries- if they weren't force sensitive. For whatever reason (Dooku never bothered to find out) a Force sensitive can't take blood transplants, even from other force sensitives. Master Kenobi has gotten extraordinary lucky that day. If the cut had been a centimeter wider, he would be dead. He would have bleed out and his body, even with the force helping, wouldn't have been able to compensate for the loss.

But what about _adding_ force sensitivity to someone? Injecting midichlorians into a person that not only wasn't force sensitive, but _didn't have any in the first place_. And Kenobi didn't know just _how_ long he had been under on Genosis. Dooku had acquired quite a bit of… _resources_ from his grand-padawan. Now he knew why the force wanted him to do so. He was puzzled at the time, yes, but now…

The opportunity was just too great.

"Bring in the captive."

"Roger, roger."


	3. Omens of Stars

**Chapter 3: Omens of Stars**

The chamber where the Jedi High Council convened sat atop a soaring spire, the highest building in the nearby skyline. A hoverlift containing Obi-Wan Kenobi and his padawan, Anakin Skywalker, made its way to the top. As always, Anakin looked eagerly out the window as they flew high above the surrounding buildings, forever fascinated by Corosaunt's skyscrapers so different from his desert home. Also per usual, Obi-Wan Kenobi looked away, slightly green. The doors slid open and Obi-Wan practically ran out of them.

"Too much like flying, Master?" Anakin teased. Obi-Wan sighed, and they made their way to the arching doors of the council chamber. The doors opened at their approach. As they stepped over the raised threshold, Obi-Wan's knee buckled ever so slightly, and Anakin immediately hovered his hand over the small of the older man's back. Obi-Wan shot Anakin a scathing glare, and he withdrew his hand with an eye roll.

"Master Kenobi, Padawan Skywalker," Mace greeted them. All the seats were empty except Mace and Yoda's.

 _/Are we not reporting to a full council?/_

 _/I never said we were, Padawan./_

"Come, young Obi-Wan." Yoda gestured to the seat beside him. "Sit, hmm?"

Obi-Wan looked scandalised at the thought of sitting in a council member's seat, and reflexifly took a step back-

Which sent his left leg crumbling beneath him. Anakin immediately tried to help him up, which brought a string of curses so foul that had Anakin jumping back in pure shock and Yoda chuckling. Mace pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Damn it, Obi-Wan, sit in the bloody chair." With much grumbling, the redhead did indeed sit down next to Yoda, who put one clawed hand on his bad leg and sent healing waves though the force. Obi-Wan sighed with relief.

"Force above… thank you Master." Yoda nodded.

" _Are you not on_ any _painkillers, Master?!_ " Anakin yelped. Obi-Wan sighed.

"Interfere with his connection to the force, they do, young Skywalker."

Anakin's eyes widened at Yoda's statement. "Oh." And then a smaller- "Sorry, Master."

Obi-Wan waved a dismissive hand. "Forgiven, Anakin. Now, to business. Anakin, would you like to recount your meeting with the Chancellor." As Anakin recounted what the Chancellor told him, his master's force presence drew more and more in on itself, tightly coiled with tension.

 _/Hey, you ok?/_

 _/Fine./_

 _/Kark, stop lying, Master./_

 _/Please, Anakin./_ His thoughts sounded bitter though the force.

Yoda turned to Obi-Wan. "And your vision, young Obi-Wan?"

"It confirms the system the Chancellor told Anakin of. Dooku invaded, the planets inhabitants are dying." He's voice was crisp and detached, not his own.

Yoda nodded. Mace begin speaking again. "You'll need a ship then. I believe-"

" _Wait!_ Hold on- that's it?!"

" _Anakin-_ "

"Your just going to let us go-"

"We might reconsider it if you don't _shut up_ , Skywalker." Mace growled.

"But-"

" _Skywalker!"_

" _Padawan!"_

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Fine. I was just curious."

Mace inhaled deeply. "If you must know, Skywalker, your Master's visions are not something to take lightly. This council has learned that many times over."

Obi-Wan stood abruptly. "Let's go, padawan."

"Master-"

"I said, _let's go."_

{}{}{}

Martha slowly came to awareness. It was painful and slow, like she was swimming through tar. She dragged her eyelids open and reflexifly closed them again from the searing sterile brightness of wherever she was. Her head pounded as she opened her eyes again, blinking the room into view.

For a moment, she thought the hell she had been though had been a coma dream, and she was home, in the hospital on Charleston Drive, her mother coming to greet her with a kiss on the cheek and her brother a smile.

"I hope you find your accommodations suitable." The man who spoke had and almost grandfatherly look to him, and yet her mind screamed not to trust him.

Martha let out a scathing reply even as she trembled. "Yes, the bashing my head took has done wonders for my health."

The man smiled. It was unsettling. "Ah, almost as bad as Master Kenobi. You don't remember what happened? That is of no consequence."

"I know I shouldn't trust you." Immediately, she knew she had said the wrong thing. The man sneered, and his brown eyes flickered gold. Her throat closed up and she was choking, gagging, straining for air. Suddenly, as quickly as the tightness came on, it was gone. She panted, fingers clutching the bed sheets.

"Not many have said that to my face and lived girl," he sneered. "Now tell me, have you heard of the Force?"

That's when the burning begin.

{}{}{}

Jade sat on the moss covered steps behind the old school building, watching the rain fall from under the overhang. Movement caught her eye, and a small group of cats crawled out from the sewer, covered in grime. They eyed each other wearly, and Jade drew her pistol and fired.

The scrawny baby deer that came out of the wooded area nearby fell to the ground, and the cat's flocked towards it, ripping the carcass to shreds in seconds. One, a grey one with bright blue eyes, held back and stared at her. A golden tabby nudged him to the meal. In a matter of minutes, nothing but bones remained, and the group slipped away again.

"That was kind of you," a soft voice said behind her, and Jade sighed, pulling the blond down for a kiss.

"It's what she would have done." The other blond teenager sighed and sat beside her, the rain soaked wind dampening her hair. Jade threw her knife, and it hit a rain soaked tree with a _smack_. "They tested the rain water today. It's too contaminated to drink, and were down to our last of the reserve gallons we have, Ella." Jade stared at the blond, and Ella swallowed.

"How much?"

"Less than a week for the 50 people we house here."

A grim silence settled over the pair. Ella spoke.

"Then we leave. Take Dave, one gallon for the three of us, and-"

"No. Too dangerous." Jade snapped curtly. "There are raiders out there, just waiting for a chance like that." A shaking breath. "Plus, Martha would never forgive us if we left them to die alone." A drop of rain landed on her nose and she wiped it away, leaving a grey streak on her face behind.

"She might not be dead, you know. If that man had wanted her, or any of us dead, he could have killed us right then and there."

"She might as well be, he took off in a _bloody_ _spaceship!"_ Jade through another knife into the ground, were it landed vertical in the grey mud of what used to be a baseball field. Ella stood, placing a hand on Jade's shoulder.

"Come inside." The door closed solidly behind them.

The next day, the back steps were covered in wildflowers and green things, petals scattering in the sunlight breeze. A vigil. A repayment. An sign for hope.


	4. Emotion, Yet Peace

**Chapter 4: Emotion, Yet Peace**

Anakin watched his master out of the corner of his eye, unsettled. He was hiding something, Anakin knew, and it infuriated him. _Even after all this time, he still doesn't trust you_ , the demon in him snarls, and he reflexly gripped the ships controls tighter.

"Are you alright, Anakin?" Force, that infuriating Corusaunti lit-

" _I'm fine."_ he snarls. His master places a hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright to be afraid, Anakin." _Oh, of course that's his bloody defalt, that I'm a coward._

"I never said that." Anakin slams his mental shields up, he doesn't notice the concern in Obi-Wan's voice though the red haze of anger. He stands and stalks out of the cockpit.

"Ships on autopilot," Anakin grumbles over his shoulder.

{}{}{}

Obi-Wan watches his Padawan storm out of the cockpit, and he sighs, rubbing his eyes that ache from lack of sleep. _He really needs to be his best for this mission. We're quite literally going into unknown territory, Force knows what trouble will run into._ He finds himself pulling out his comlink, and dialing a number that he hasn't for a _very long_ time. His finger hesitates over the _send_ button, and then presses it. After a few rings it picks up, and he can hear shuffling in the background before there's a verbal answer.

"You do realize it's three in the morning on Mandalore, my dear. Though I am glad to finally hear from you, Obi." Obi-Wan winces.

"Sorry Satine, you know how my internal clock is disrupted when I'm in hyperspace for a long time."

A yawn, and then- "Another mission then? You've been all over the news lately." she mummers sleepily.

"Satine, Dooku's been located beyond the outer rim. I…" He hesitates.

"It won't be like Outbound Flight, Obi'ika." She sounds fully alert now.

"It's not that… Anakin, something's bothering him. I just wish he would tell me!"

"Were there not frustrations you refused to tell Qui-Gon Jinn? Have faith, riduur, that he will come to you." Obi-Wan runs his fingers through his hair.

"Force, I miss you, Satine. I miss you so much it hurts."

"I know, cyar'ika. I know." He wishes it was a holo call, so he could see her face again… "My offer still stands, you know," she says softly. "With a word you'll be the Duke of Mandalore."

Obi-Wan swallows. "You know I can't do that. It would be wrong for me to put you in that position of political scandal. Besides, Anakin needs me."

"I know. I would be worried if you had said yes. I fell in love with Obi-Wan Kenobi the Jedi. It's your lifeblood, and no one, Mando or not, deserves that taken." Her voice thickens. "Despite how pretty you are, my cyare."

Obi-Wan lets out a chuckle. "Anakin could never do this. Jate ca, cyare."

"Jate ca, cyare. Call me soon."

{}{}{}

He didn't _really_ mean to eavesdrop. It's just he needed the thing from the-

Ok. _Maybe_ he was curious who his Master was calling. Maybe. He start's listening mid- conversation.

" _My offer still stands you know,"_ a female voice says. It sounds familiar. Another Senator, one of Padme's friends… Satine… Klanzy? _Kryze,_ that was it. Satine Kryze. " _With a word you'll be the Duke of Mandalore."_ The demon inside him bristles. _Marriage. She's asking him to marry her. And he preaches to me about 'no attachment'- karking LIER-_

"You know I can't do that. It would be wrong for me to put you in that position of political scandal. Besides, Anakin needs me." his master replies. The demon roars and his hands shake in fury. _He doesn't TRUST you. Still. After EVERYTHING._ The rest of the conversation flutters over his head, and his hands clutch and unclutch as madness begins to take him. The tuskens, his mother, the urge to _kill kill killkillkillKILLKILLKILL-_

Suddenly, a wave of calm washes over him, and he _breaths,_ his hands tightening around his master's. The only sign of worry visible on his master is the slight crinkle near his left eye.

"Breath with me, my Padawan."

He breaths. Slowly, the roaring flames die to flickering embers that are buried deep beneath the surface. Always there, never quite gone, but at least his head is clear. Guilt floods him. "I'm sorry…"

His master shakes his head. "Your thinking clearly now, that's all that matters. We need to be at our best for this mission."

Anakin smiles softly. "You say that for every mission, Master."

His Master smiles softly back. "That's because it's true, Padawan. But… I have a bad feeling about this mission." Obi-Wan's stare blankens for a moment. "The Force is… screaming. There's a seeping wound, and were heading right towards it. I fear Dooku has taken some experiment too far."

"Experiment?" Anakin askes, bewildered. His master chuckles.

"Yes, Dooku was never… _content_ with just philosophy. It wouldn't surprise me that without the Council looking over his shoulder he's taken to Force experiments. So Qui-Gon said anyway." He's Master's eyes go distant and sad at Qui-Gon's name.

"Tell me about Master Qui-Gon, Master," Anakin pleads. His Master's eyes go soft, and _ohforcetellmetellmetellme-_

The proximity alarm blares though the ship, and the moment is lost. Anakin trails behind his master, shoulders slumped.

{}{}{}

 _The Force_ adores _Obi-Wan Kenobi._

 _The instant he came into this world he was her champion. However a life of the champion is never easy, and she griefs for the pain it will cause him, the sadness. And as that dreadful day on Mustafar draws ever closer, she changes things. Pulls a few strings from the fabric of another universe, and weaves them into his. She knows it's not supposed to be that way, but she's desperate. And the instant she does, she knows it's the right thing._

 _Because the Chosen One is destined to fall._

 _So she blesses another, and hopes they will stay in the light, and heal her broken champion._

{}{}{}

The closer and closer the Jedi ship got to its destination, the more and more uneasy the Force felt to Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Master, I'm not going to pretend to understand the Unifying Force, because I don't… but if you ever need me, I'm here. And… I'm sorry about earlier."

Obi-Wan blinks. "Oh, earlier… that's fine…" He stares back at the viewport.

Anakin looks at him, bewildered. "Where's the lecture?" Despite the joking tone, bitterness runs beneath it. Obi-Wan sighs.

"It was nothing I didn't do when I was a Padawan." Before Anakin can process that, his Master continues. "It's awfully cold in here, Anakin."

Anakin, still reeling from the abrupt change of subject, mutters a very intelligent sounding _huh?_

"It's cold." He says, enunciating each syllable as he shuffles deeper into his cloak. "Turn the heat on."

Anakin grins. "Old man."

"Shut up."


	5. The Blue Marble

**Chapter 5: The Blue Marble**

The planet looked peaceful from space. It was a wash of blue-green, and glittering white ice capped the poles. A few of the continents had spralling deserts, and Anakin hoped there mission wouldn't leave them there. On the planet's night side, lights glittered like stars from the inhabitants below. Two small moons orbit slowly around the planet, both greyish and rocky. The planet also had dozens of unnatural satellites orbiting around it.

"Looks like primitive radio based communications, Master. Pretty easy for the Seps to block." Obi-Wan nodded absently, and lifted a finger.

"That one is particularly curious. It looks like it was build for human habitation, though I sense no lifeforms aboard it."

"Should we check it out?" Anakin asked dubiously. "It just looks like a string of cans with some sticks poking out of it." Obi-Wan sighed.

"I think we out to get at least a little more information on this world before we land and attract Count Dooku's attention. Is the cloaking still holding up?"

"Yep." Anakin says, and steers them towards the object. As they get closer, they see writing scribbled on the windows. It's not in any language the recognizes and her glances to Obi-Wan, who shakes his head. He doesn't know either.

 _HELP._ There is a flimsiphoto of a human crew taped crudely to the window, all of them smiling and floating in the space station. _I'm sorry. We're all sorry. The blip on the screen wasn't a fluke. Goodbye._ Anakin realizes what the words are written in now- dried blood. He swallows, and Obi-Wan looks faintly sick.

"We need to go in."

"WHAT!" Anakin protests horsley. "We can't…"

"Why, exactly, can't we Anakin. They're sentiment just like us, and they deserve a proper burial." Obi-Wan robotically begins to enter the proper keystrokes. "And we can't go in fighting Dooku blind, we need information-"

"I know. Just…" Obi-Wan punches the final button and lets out a shuddering sigh, his face in his hands.

"It hurts."

Anakin nodded shakely. "Yeah. It reminds me of Tatooine." Anakin gazed down at the blue-green planet. "Somehow." They were jolted from their musings when the ship docked. Obi-Wan rose slowly and clipped his lightsaber to his belt.

"Let's go."

{}{}{}

When the docking mechanism clicks, Anakin and Obi-Wan board the primitive space station. It's mostly grey and white inside, with splashes of reds and blues and greens on equipment here and there. It looks oddly mismatched compared to the other stations they've been on, and the technology borders on barely space worthy. Every once and a while they see a rectangular symbol with a blue square with white stars and red-white stripes.

"Master, I think I found the living quarters." Anakin breaths, eyes wide. When Obi-Wan follows Anakin in throw the station into the room, he can see why. It's surreal, having this little peek at life on this planet.

Primitive flimsiplast photos cover one wall. Many of them are smiling people, families, Obi-Wan assumes, of the people up here. There are some landscapes too, from choppy oceans to rainforests to endless deserts. A little family of some species that resembles a loth-cat have a whole section to their own. Next there are the bunks, each one with a slightly different atmosphere. One has a impressive collection of what looks to be flimsiplast books, a rarity in the Republic. Another has a stack of drawings of stick people, looking that they were done by a youngling. One has a obnoctious poster somehow mounted to the wall, and even though he can't read it, it radiates silly happiness into the force. Obi-Wan touches it, lightly.

 _It's the same room, but brighter. Six humans, three male and three female, float in. One of the women with bright red hair, punches a bald man in the arm._

" _The big four zero, eh, Greg?" The women does a backflip, fiery red curls tumbling behind her. She's now standing upside down in the ceiling. The bald man snorts._

" _You better not have done anything 'special'." The red haired woman grins._

" _What… you can't be talking about your_ last birthday… _Sam, Valorie, Larry, Diana, bring it in!" Greg groans as the others drag in a long rectangular box covered in wrapping paper. Greg sighs, accepting his fate, and gently begins to open the package. A large poster is revealed, and it floats away, unrolling as it does so. A large UFO with 'I Want to Believe' printed on the bottom is revealed._

" _You smuggled in an X-Files poster. On the ISS. For my birthday. Do you know how many regulations-"_

" _This is where you say 'thank you'" the red haired woman snorts, and Greg smiles softly._

" _Thanks guys." A chorus of Happy Birthday is then sung, and celebratory freeze dried cake is brought out. It's terrible, but they eat it anyway._

Obi-Wan smiles softly at the projection. It's not often he got to see good things in the force now. He chuckles as he realizes Quinlan is going to be pissed when they get back. Anakin stares at him.

"What?"

"Quinlan is going to kill me," he says completely straight faced.

Anakin snorts. "News to me, Master."

{}{}{}

Her captor comes in today, once an hour on the hour, to inject her with something that makes her burn. It's like her very blood is on fire, and she swears it's changing something deep inside her, something fundamental to her existence. She screams for the first 3 hours, after that her voice is gone. He comes in a little early on the 7th hour, and watches her spasm with pain under the cuffs. He pets one twitching hand.

"It's painful my dear, but the transformation will be over soon." She blinks at him with hazy eyes. / _Make it stop, please…/_

"Ah, strong already. This is going better then I had hoped." He calls in a med droid.

"Droid, get in here!"

The droid wurrs in. "How may I be of service, my lord?" He waves a hand at the girl.

"A blood test please." The droid trots over and takes a needle from a compartment in it's torso. The girl's eyes widen, and she tries to shy away. A vile on the wall shatters. The droid unfeelingly pricks her arm. It wurrs for a moment then-

"The patient has dangerously low vitamin D levels. She is suffering from blood loss-"

He interrupts the droid. "A midichlorian count."

The droid sounds puzzled. "The patients midichlorian count has jumped from 0 to over 20,000, my lord. My scales go no higher."

"Does she have the same amount from the samples I gave you earlier?"

"Possibly, my lord. The blood sample filed under 'Anakin Skywalker' also has a count of over 20,000." Dooku smiles.

"Good. Prep her to be transported to Room C222."

"Yes my lord."

{}{}{}

Anakin and Obi-Wan begin maneuvering their way back to where their ship is docked after looking at the living quarters. That's when they come across the first body. It's torso riddled with blaster shots, and blood is still floating around the body in spheres due to the lack of gravity indusing technology on the ship. The lack of gravity had caused Obi-Wan to be bordering on nauseous for the last hour, and when he saw the body he's stomach, his heart, and the Force all lurched in unison.

It was quite unpleasant. Anakin, whose mouth was set in a grim line, turned to see his master had turned pale and fantily green. Obi-Wan's eyes where screwed shut. Anakin put a hand on his arm.

"Hey, you good?"

"Burning… make… stop…" Obi-Wan ground out through clenched teeth. Anakin's alarm rose.

"Ok, were getting out of here. Come on." Anakin put one arm around to older man and began to lead them to the ship. Where he ran into a small problem. The moment they started moving, Obi-Wan vomited all over Anakin. Normally (it had unfortunately happened before) this wouldn't be _that_ much of a problem. Except, well... they're in a primitive space station with no gravity. Which meant a huge mess.

"Damn it, Obi-Wan." Anakin muttered. "Why do we always get into these messes." Anakin vainly tried to swat a floating glob of vomit away.

Once the Jedi had seem to empty his stomach from what seemed like a year's worth of food, Anakin all but dragged (floated?) him back to the ship. When they hit their ship's gravity, some of the vomit they managed to drag in with them splattered down like rain. "Gross," Anakin muttered, and then crouched next to Obi-Wan, who had immediately dropped to the floor once the gravity returned. "Hey, what's wrong?"

 _/Notmineminetakefrommechangeburnburnburnburn-/_ Anakin recoiled from the panicked mental onslot. "Ok, we landing on that planet _right now. I am_ not _losing you!"_ He touched a hand to his master's cheek. It felt feverish. "I have to go pilot, ok? I'll be right back." Feverish sea green eyes opened.

"No crashing… please…" _Wow, I didn't think he could hear me._

"I'll try."

"No… try… do..." Obi-Wan dropped into unconsciousness.


	6. Zeus's Tears (The Arrival)

**Chapter 6: Zeus's Tears (The Arrival)**

The sky was a dark grey today, and a salty breeze was blowing up from the ocean nearby. The old man looked from the sky to his companion.

"Used to live in the largest resort city in the world, we did."

The younger man looked up to his grandfather. "Really?"

"Aye, of course not boy! The surveyors didn't deduct the year 'round residents."

"Oh."

The old man sighs. "I'm too old to go through another war, son. 'Nam was enough for me. Keep your mother safe, yes?"

His grandson nodded. "I promise." The old man nods.

"Good. Now how about you finish reading to me that book you and your cousins enjoyed so much. Barry Otter or somthin'"

He's grandson smiled. "'Harry Potter', Grandpa?"

"Aye." His grandson picks up a battered copy of _The Sorcerers Stone_ and ruffles though it.

"Chapter 10: Halloween. Alright… _Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Harry and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful-"_

 _Hhhhhhrrrrroooooommmmm…. CRASH!_

"Boy, that better not have been that filthy dog again!" The grandson sprang from his chair on the porch to look at the smoking hunk of metal before them about a half mile down the beach. He grabbed his grandfather's rifle.

"Go in the house, grampa, and hide Mom and the kids. I'll check and see if any of the robots survived the crash." The grandfather clasps a hand to his grandson's shoulder.

"26 is too young to die son. I made it out of 'Nam, you _need_ to make it out of this war. Understand?" The grandson swallows back tears.

"Yes sir."

"Good." With a final pat on his shoulder the grandfather limped into the house a bolted the door behind him. The grandson threw the gun over his shoulder and sprinted towards the crash. He skidded to a halt on the damp sand about 50 feet away and began a slowly circle the wreck.

Something moved. The grandson planted his feet and cocked the old rifle.

It moved again, and a figure emerged. But not the boney, tan, silhouette of a robot, no… this was… _a man?!_

"Hands where I can see them, brother!" the grandson shouts over the wind. The man has a dark, long full cloak that looks like it should be in the set of _The Hobbit_ then here. He turns, slowly, to face the grandson. A bizarre collection of sounds and syllables come from his throat, a language more foreign sounding than even the guttural tones of the Middle East to the grandson's ears. There's- _is that vomit?-_ on his dark robes, and something silver glints in his belt. The man slowly takes the silver glint- it's a cylinder- and places it on the ground in front of him. He raises his hands in a gesture of surrender.

" _Hey, look, I'm not here to hurt anyone, ok? Just my friend is really sick, and he needs some help. Like a lot of help. Soon."_

The grandson slowly lowers his own weapon. The scarred man keeps talking in that strange tongue.

" _Alright, that's good, no shooting right? Great. Now I really_ really _need to get my friend out of this wreck, ok? So please, please don't panic and shoot me, alright?"_

A piece of the ship begins to ever so gently detach and floats down to the ground. The grandson does a double take, and the weapon comes springing back up. "What the legitimate fuck! That's impossible! _WHAT THE HELL?! Who ARE you?"_

The scarred man backs away slowly. " _Ok, no Force, that's alright…"_ The scarred man looks panicked now. " _But my friend really needs help_ NOW _so…"_ The scarred man springs like a tiger back on the wreck. The sudden movement startles the grandson, and he fires a shot on reflex.

{}{}{}

Anakin ducks into the hatchway of the smoking ship, just missing the shot. " _Damn it!"_ He hurries to where Obi-Wan still lays slumped on the floor.

"You… crashed…" mumbled Obi-Wan. "Told you… no… crashing…"

"Sorry," and for once, he really is. "I have to move you now, this might hurt, ok Obi-Wan?" _Better do this fast._ He swings Obi-Wan into his arms-

-and promptly gets vomited on again. _/Hurt/_

"Yeah, sorry about that, Obi-Wan." He steps out of the ship and hopes to Force that the native decides not to shoot at him again.

 _/No, burn… Still burning, tearing.../_ He feels a little flare of the pain Obi-Wan's talking about through their bond, and he almost vomits too.

"Alright, that's bad. I'm just gonna set you down, yeah? It's sand, a beach. You like beaches yeah?" _I've got to keep him talking, got to keep him awake._

"You… don't…" Anakin forces a laugh. The native is gone, hopefully to get some medical help.

"Yeah. Can you tell me what's hurting you?" He can feel the native human returning with another though the Force.

"Force… stealing…" _Well that's not alarming at all._ The native has returned with a human female little more than a girl, and Anakin scowls.

"You better no what your doing," he mutters darkly, and the girl shoots him a dirty look and snips something back at him. Despite the language barrier, the message is received, and Anakin frowns. The girl tied up her hair as the man from earlier- a few years older than Anakin pulls off his jacket, bundling it up. They both go the close the few foot gap between them and Obi-Wan and Anakin reflexively snarls. Obi-Wan's eyes flicker open.

"Let them, Anakin… please…" his head lolls to one side and his eyes close again. Anakin reluctantly leans back on his heels. The girl snorts and shakes her head, pushing the bundled jacket under Obi-Wan's head. As she gently props Obi-Wan's face and throat with the impersonal touch of a Temple healer, he relaxes. _Check pulse, make sure airway is clear, look for signs of concussion..._ His hands tremble, and he feels a flicker of shame. He should be able to do this himself.

He feels a touch on his shoulder, and the girl gestures to the simple stretcher lying on the sand. He reflexively reaches for the force to steady his hands, but he can't properly grasp it. He's whole body shakes. The girl briefly converses with her companion, and then the man gently transfers Obi-Wan to the stretcher himself. The girl gestures from him to the end of the stretcher. _Right, little human girl can't carry that._ He summons his saber and clips it to his belt, and takes one end of the stretcher, letting the girl guide them along.

{}{}{}

Their walking along the abandoned main drag through the city. Ella looked up at the grandson.

"Didn't catch your name."

The grandson shakes his head. "Doesn't matter. I'll have to return to the beachouse once I drop this guy off for you."

"Will you stay for a drink? It's the least we can give you for the help."

The grandson shakes his head. "No thanks." Thunder rumbles above their heads, and the sky darkens. "Better hurry. We don't want to get caught in the storm."

"We still have another mile and a half," Ella says, voice tinged with fear. A fat grey drop lands on the grandson's nose.

"Fuck it. _Run!"_ The other robed man was quick to catch on, just as the rain started pelting down.

Rain now wasn't clear and purifying. When it rained, it turned your skin and cloths grey. It stung at your eyes and caused severe infection in open wounds. In some people, the touch of rainwater on bare skin caused iching, burning rashes.

The man on the stretcher screams and thrashes, screaming one word- _a name_ Ella thinks. The robed man supporting the bottom half of the stretcher instantly halts, and the grandson whips his head around as lightning lights up the sky. The face illuminated is all harsh lines and angles, the face of a man in war. The robed man's face looks boyish in comparison.

" _No,_ " the grandson snarls. "Do you hear me? We pause for nothing. Not for your friend, not for anyone. _Move._ " Thunder booms and the three begin to sprint, grey muddied water splashing all around them.

{}{}{}

 _It's dark, and pain flickers around the edge of his awareness like flames. He can feel Anakin's panic and worry, and he wants to go back- but the Force prodds him on, farther into the darkness. He can sense a presence, and it's flickering, though not as if it's dying but as if it's catching alight. But there's some darkness surrounding it, corrupting his senses whenever he tries to reach for it. He hears it- no a her- crying for help._

 _/Mom! MOM! God, somebody help me! PLEASE! MOM! Anyone! Please… anyone…help me…/ He reaches, and when their presences touch, it burns like fire._

{}{}{}

Anakin gasps as the metal door of the building slams shut behind them. Immediately he's crouching over Obi-Wan, water logged hair streaming more greyish fluid onto them both. Obi-Wan's eyes flew open and gags, wet, hacking coughs shaking his form. Anakin gently sits him up.

"Alright, easy does it old man." Obi-Wan glares at him.

"I'm not old," he rasps. He props himself up on one arm, the other hand rubbing his eyes. "How long was I out?"

"An hour or two. We're… somewhere…" Anakin shrugs. "Not really sure."

Obi-Wan sighs, looking at the tiled floor and bare walls. Wooden doors lined either side. They appeared to be at the end of some sort of hallway. "I assume you found someone on this planet then. Where are they?"

"Umm…"

"You don't know?" Obi-Wan exlaimes, slightly exasperated. Their banter was interrupted by approaching footsteps. Obi-Wan, still to weak to stand, hauls his aching joints into a sloppy replication of a meditative stance. He slides just under into the currents of the Force- enough to be aware of the real world, but simply see it through a different lense. "All ways be aware of your surroundings, my Padawan," he murmurs, he voice with a dreamlike quality to it. "Now let's see our new friends."

The man and girl from earlier approach, along with another pair of the same. The new man greets him in his native tongue. Obi-Wan opened his eyes, tilted his head, and respond in likeness.

 _/Thank Force! You know what their speaking master?/_

 _/A recent acquisition, I don't know much, but yes./_

His master spoke in diplomatic tones to the four, and he gives a mental narration of the conversation to his Padawan.

 _/Ah… so the red haired man you met earlier is… Brad Stanson- the blond girl is Ella. As for the new arrivals, the man is Dave O'Heir and the girl is Jade. They've taken us to an old school- it's their base of operations for now… It's been about 9 months on this planet- I'm not sure how that converts to standard galactic months- since Dooku invaded. Apparently the Separatists tearing things up and exploding things has wrecked the climent and weather. About 3 months in the governmental system fell apart, and world wide communication was down by month 2 of the invasion. Gangs have taken over the streets, and food and water is traded for sex and servitude. They're running out of food and medical supplies here, and their water supply is almost non existent. Did any of the relief supplies we brought survive the crash?/_

 _/I don't know, Master. I didn't really get a good look at the damage./_ The unspoken disappointment flowed through the bond. Anakin bowed his head. "Sorry, Master." Obi-Wan heaved a sigh.

"You musn't let your emotions rule you, Anakin." He stands on shaking feet. "Come, they've got a place for us to sleep before we plan further."


End file.
